Artsmith Jewelers 700 S. Vista Ave., 208-344-4881 For nearly 40 years, the little store with the giant diamond ring atop the building has ser ved Boiseans’ jewelr y repair needs. But Ar tsmith Jewelers is also the go-to place for those looking to find unique or custommade pieces. Whether you want to design a fashionable ring from scratch, or bring closure to the end of a crappy relationship by repurposing some existing pieces, the ar tists at Ar tsmith can help create something that will become an heirloom. And 40 years from now when the pieces need an update, the store’s huge ring will probably still be there welcoming you. SECOND PLACE: HENDRICKSON’S FINE JEWELRY THIRD PLACE: MOLENAAR JEWELERS
BEST LOCAL GROCERY STORE
Boise Co-op
888 W. Fort St., 208-472-4500, boisecoop.com Boise Co-op is one of those places it’s easy to find yourself at multiple times a day. Maybe the first stop is a quick swing-in for organic milk and some freshly baked bread. But then, oops, you forgot to pack a lunch and you’re back at the deli counter for a half sandwich and a side of edamame tofu salad. By dinnertime, when you realize your herbed chevre stock is minimal and you’re jonesing for an ice cold microbrew, you know where you’ve got to go: a place where everybody kind of knows your name but still always asks for your member number. SECOND PLACE: WINCO THIRD PLACE: PAUL’S MARKET
BEST LOCAL SMOKESHOP
Hannifin’s Cigar Shop
1024 W. Main St., 208-342-7473 For more than 100 years, tobacco consumers have been stopping into Hannifin’s for supplies. It’s the only downtown location to sell smokes and smoke-related paraphernalia, and even through the societal shifts regarding smoking, the corner store with the dark interior has stayed strong. Anti-smoking groups, calm down now. Hannifin’s is one of the few retail stores in downtown where a thirsty urbanite can stop in for a soda or a pack of gum. We’re impressed with the store’s ability to hang in all these years and will openly admit that when a fit hits, we are so happy that Hannifin’s is there. SECOND PLACE: STURMAN’S SMOKE SHOP
Boise Co-op Wine Shop
BEST LOCAL WINE SHOP
915 N. Eighth St., 208-472-4519, boisecoopwineshop.com Walking through Boise Co-op Wine Shop’s narrow aisles, it’s easy to pretend you’re a rich European noble looking to pluck a vintage Chateauneuf de Pape from your well-stocked cellar to ser ve in the parlour while debating the merits of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. Or, it’s equally easy to pretend that you’re picking up two bottles of rose for a garden party and not for a solo Lost marathon. Either way, wine shop staffers are more than happy to help you sift through the 3,600 varieties of grape juice from around the globe and point you in the direction of your new favorite effer vescent vinho verde or barnyard-y Cotes du Rhone. And whatever it is you’re pretending, remember that the staff isn’t there to judge. They’re much bigger winos than you could ever dream of being. SECOND PLACE: BUENO CHEAPO VINO THIRD PLACE: NEW VINTAGE WINE SHOP
BEST LOCAL GARDENING STORE/ NURSERY
Edwards Greenhouse 4106 Sand Creek St., 208-3427548, edwardsgreenhouse.com
It’s pretty hard to beat Edwards Greenhouse. In fact, in Best of Boise land—where the hanging fuchsia pots and wind chimes sway eternally in the warm summer breeze—it’s almost impossible. Ever y year we ask you green-thumbed readers where to find the best place in town to show up with an empty wheel barrow and leave with a bounty of flowers, herbs and sapling veggie starts, and ever y year, you emphatically cr y, “Edwards.” Well, you’ve got good taste, friends. And with good taste comes tasty garden goods. And they’re particularly tasty this year, after Edwards had to rise from the shards of a major wind storm that tore up the landmark nurser y and smashed its glass greenhouse. But employees and community volunteers rallied to clean up the mess, and Edwards was once again ser ving the botanically inclined. If you’re not currently sitting in an abundant backyard oasis, munching on a fresh array of Edwards Momma Mia and Lemon Boy tomatoes, we implore you: Bookmark BOB, put it down gently and make your way down Hill Road to Edwards to find out what you’ve been missing. Next summer, you’ll thank us. SECOND PLACE: ZAMZOWS THIRD PLACE: GREENHURST NURSERY
THIRD PLACE: BIG SMOKE
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| SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 6, 2009 |
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BEST LOCAL JEWELRY STORE